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Behind the explosive scoring of Sabrina Ionescu, the New York Liberty bounced back from a tough loss and defeated the Las Vegas Aces, 87-78, on Tuesday.
The Liberty, who bowed to the Seattle Storm, 79-70 on Sunday, clamped down on the Aces in the fourth quarter to complete the victory. They improved to 13-6, while the Aces dropped to 9-10.
Ionescu, who recently had her new signature shoe released, led the charge for New York with a game-high 28 points on top of eight rebounds, eight assists, and two steals. Breanna Stewart and Leonie Fiebich provided ample support with 15 points apiece.
With only five minutes left in the game and the Aces only leading by one, 71-70, Ionescu went for a layup but was fouled by Chelsea Gray. Ionescu accidentally hit Gray in the face after the attempt, and the Liberty guard was whistled for a technical foul.
Sabrina Ionescu was assessed a technical foul after this play.
Chelsea Gray was called for a defensive foul. pic.twitter.com/jXmqqJ0X8f
— ESPN (@espn) July 9, 2025
The 27-year-old Ionescu couldn't believe the call—and so did the fans, who took to X formerly Twitter to express their disgust with the officiating.
“A technical for an accidental swing? That's lame,” said @JoelVarela79.
“The WNBA league has a SERIOUS referee issue,” observed @coachmcg11.
“There were a total of 0 fouls committed during this play, tho. Strip was clean, Sabrina's follow-through was very clearly accidental. I'm not crazy am I?” added @therealreserves.
“W refs are a joke,” wrote @LowkeyRealm.
“If that's a tech, half the league should be ejected by warmups,” posted @kienobifilms.
The incident appeared to light a fire under Ionescu and the Liberty as they went on a 12-0 run afterward to wrest the lead and take control of the erstwhile nip-and-tuck affair. That proved to be the pivotal stretch in New York's win. The Liberty survived the game despite their depleted lineup, with Jonquel Jones, Natasha Cloud, and Isabelle Harrison still out with various injuries.
The loss could also be extra costly for the Aces after A'ja Wilson hurt her wrist in the second quarter. She did not return. The Liberty's next assignment is on Sunday against the Atlanta Dream.
